War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 260

Chapter 7

“D

id you know about that?” Kochel’s eyes bored into her brain as if to uncover a secret connection between the two women. “Did you know that the kind-hearted woman who helped you to break garrison rules was involved in subversive activities?”

“No… how could I even imagine that?” Lotte murmured. She didn’t have to fake the blood draining from her face and the sudden dizziness she experienced. “I’m shocked. I had no idea!”

“Of course you didn’t know,” her superior said sarcastically.

Lotte struggled to keep her hands from trembling. “How can such a nice girl do something so awful? I find these accusations very hard to believe. Hopefully the truth will come out.”

“No doubt, the truth will soon be discovered, Helferin Wagner,” he said with a sardonic smile on his face. “And I doubt it will set her free. Our people don’t make mistakes. In fact, it will implicate other enemies of our Reich. ”

“You’re right, sir,” Lotte said with feigned contrition. The Hauptmann might be one of the Gestapo informers, hidden in plain sight. People were browbeaten by the Nazi propagation of fear, whose far-reaching tentacles permeated the public like a virus. Even people as high up in the military hierarchy as Kochel weren’t immune. She decided to lay it on thick. “In spite of the obstacles, the Party is doing a splendid job.”

“A magnificent job!” He couldn’t resist the flattery, although she wondered how much of it was honest and how much was playing to the house the way she did. “Norwegians can now see the benefits of Nazism. They see how much their country has improved after German occupation. People go to their ordinary jobs and children go to school. They work on German construction projects, while their companies get work from the Germans. Everyone is prosperous and happy. Soon we will leave the transition phase behind and form one superior Aryan race to rule the world.”

They don’t enjoy freedom, though

. But who cared about individual freedom in the face of world domination? Certainly not the Party.

He also failed to mention that Norwegian leaders, civilians and other officers were removed if they didn't do what the new order wanted them to. Much had been destroyed. Buildings, factories and entire towns were bombed and burnt to the ground. Food, clothing and other goods were in short supply and rationed. People experienced a difficult time and the future looked uncertain.

“Is there anything I can do to help the investigation?” she asked, in an attempt to interrupt his paean to the Nazi ideology.

“That despicable woman has been sent to the Gestapo for deep interrogation, even as we speak,” he said cheerfully. “She will soon sing brighter than a nightingale.”

The impact of his statement almost knocked her out. She felt its sharpness cutting into her flesh as if they were knives instead of words. She knew full well what deep interrogation meant. It had very little to do with talking.

Swallowing down the bile in her mouth, she clasped her hands to doorknob, until her knuckles became white as freshly fallen snow. Mercifully, someone knocked at the office door, interrupting her train of thought.

“

Herein!

” Kochel called out and she opened the door. In came a very distraught-looking soldier.

“Sir, I’m very sorry to disturb you, but…” the soldier wriggled like a snake in captivity and Lotte wondered what kind of bad news he’d been tasked to deliver, “…this woman, Lina… she has killed herself.”

“How on earth could this happen?” the Hauptmann exploded upon hearing the news even as another wave of blessed relief coursed through Lotte’s veins at the demise of another. “Am I cursed having to serve with a bunch of incompetent fools?”

The messenger didn’t get a chance to reply.

“Who was responsible for this? Do you know what the Gestapo will think about us? Not even capable of keeping one damn female prisoner alive! I swear, heads will roll for this. And it won’t be mine!” Hauptmann Kochel’s face had turned beet-red and Lotte pressed her body against the wall, hoping he might forget her presence.

“I’m… just… the messenger,” the frightened soldier stammered, apparently afraid he’d personally be tried for incompetence, collusion and possibly treason.

“Off you go, Wagner!” Kochel bellowed at Lotte. Her heart beat like a drum as she darted through the door into the silent hallway.

She didn’t look back until she arrived at her quarters, where she flopped down onto her bed, torn apart by violent emotions. Despite the awful news of Lina’s suicide, it also gave her a sense of relief, immediately followed by sharp pangs of guilt, easing into gratefulness. Lina had done the one thing she knew would prevent her from betraying her friends – including Lotte. Although Lotte was barely a friend, not even an acquaintance, just someone who’d relayed secret information to her. A co-conspirator against the Third Reich.

Sadness engulfed Lotte. A young, vibrant woman had made the ultimate sacrifice to rescue the cause. Another life wasted. But then, what wasn’t a waste in this godawful war? Millions had died already and millions more would die, if the Allies didn’t put an end to this soon.

Despite Hauptmann Kochel’s pep-talk, Lotte knew that even he and his higher-ups believed the war was lost. There was no chance in hell the Wehrmacht could turn this around, as campaign after campaign of experienced, but worn out and war tired, German soldiers crumpled under the onslaught of fresh troops from the Allies. On top of those, the men of each liberated country took up arms to fight together with the Allies against the bedeviled Nazis. And who could blame them?

Not Lotte.

Once her heart stopped racing, worry about Johann attacked her. What had the Russians in store for him? How would he be treated? The disturbing news about both him and Lina on top of the tension she’d been living with for the past week overwhelmed her, and she succumbed to it, sobbing desperately into her pillow.

Much later, Gerlinde whooshed into the room, still exhilarated from their trip to the Lysefjord.

She stopped in her tracks, staring at Lotte. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s… Johann. He’s been taken prisoner,” Lotte sobbed.

Gerlinde’s expression reflected the impact of the news, but she kept her voice even as she said, “I’m sorry. But it could be worse. Don’t you think? He could be wounded or dead.”

Lotte sniffed, blinking away a tear. “I know. But I can’t bear to think of what he might be going through.”

Everyone had heard the propaganda about the

Russenschreck. N

o doubt, Goebbels and his propaganda ministry exploited the fear to keep the soldiers fighting until the last drop of blood. But Lotte was convinced there must be some truth to it.

“Don’t believe all you hear,” Gerlinde suggested. “Prisoners of war have to be treated according to the Geneva Convention.”

“Only that… the Soviet Union never signed it.” Lotte’s sobbing intensified and Gerlinde sat down by her side, holding her in her arms like a baby. Lotte felt the comfort of a friendly soul and was reminded of the times her mother had done the same, when she was still a child.

“I’m sure you’ll soon get a letter from him and he’ll tell you that he’s alright and you have no reason to worry.”

“The letters will be censored,” Lotte moaned.

Gerlinde softly reproached her friend. “You should be grateful he is no longer on the battlefield and out of the line of fire.”

Despite her desperation, Lotte had to laugh. “That’s exactly what Hauptmann Kochel said.”

“See? When even the boss says so, it must be true. Be brave, I’m sure you and Johann will be reunited as soon as this war ends. Which is more than I can say for myself.”

In contrast to Lotte, who wanted to do her bit for the war effort – although in a very different way than the recruiters for female auxiliaries would dare to imagine – Gerlinde had joined up out of boredom. Living the privileged life of a great landowner’s daughter in East Prussia, she’d grown tired of being confined to her golden cage and had sought adventure. By now, though, she regretted her decision dearly and would rather have stayed with her family.

“Have you had news from your family?” Lotte asked.

“Not since the letter I got last month.” A steep frown appeared on Gerlinde’s forehead, betraying her worry for her family.

“I’m sorry.” Lotte thought back to the contents of that letter. Gerlinde’s family had written her that they’d decided to flee from the Red Army in January, across the frozen

Haff

. Shudders ran down her spine at the thought of having to step on the treacherous ice of the Baltic Sea while being chased by the Red Army on the ground and strafed from the air.

“My poor mother.” Gerlinde’s gaze became distant, as if her soul was flying across the lands to be with her family and she murmured unconsciously, “I don’t even know if they made it across, or where they are now. Even the image of seeing them sinking into the deadly icy waters… fighting for breath…” Her hand flew to her chest and Lotte squeezed her hard.

Both women sat, pressed against one another, hanging on to their morbid thoughts, each one of them fearing for those she loved most. Finally, Lotte gathered her wits and said, “Your family is probably in a safe place by now. And we shouldn’t dwell on dreadful thoughts, as it won’t help anyone.”